Football



av. V`', 1925. F. A. BUECHNER 1560657 FOOTBALL Filed July 11, 1925 frm):-

N INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. l0, 1925.

p unirse s'rnrasv FRANK A. B'U'ECHNIEHR'y 0F BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

roornALL.-

Application mea my 11, 1925. semi No. 42,956.

To all whom it may comem.'

Be it known that I, FRANK A. BUECHNER, a citizen vof the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certainy new and useful improvements in Footballs;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to foot balls in which an inflatable bladder or container is provided with an internal extending valve stem formed with an outer end rim adapted to lie between the closing iap of the casing and the casing itself.

A characteristic feature of my invention is the provision of a neck of a valve stem carrying an integrally-formed rim at its end adapted to seat on 'the lacing iiap through which said neck extends, and a base rim to said valve stem to be vulcanized to the bladder.

Another object is to construct a valve stem capable of withstanding a maximum of side and torsional strain, yet flexible for the admission ,of iniating nozzles.

An object of the invention is to so form the valve of an iniata-ble bladder that it will not be necessary to unlace the casing to either inflate or deflate said bladder.

Another object of the invention is to so form 'the valve and the closing flap whereby when the neck of the valve is inserted through said flap it will retain the parts in a normal and proper position.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a ball and its' valve whereby it will not necessitate the infolding of a valve Vstem preparatory to closing the casing either by sewing or lacin Still another obJect of my invention is to so form the valve stem of an inflatable ball` whereby its more vulnerable portion will be duly and substantially reinforced.

Still another object of the invention is to so construct the neck, or that portion of a valve stem ada ted to receive the closing flap, whereby said valve stem will not readily become injured or broken in its attachment to said Hap.

These and other objects and advantages it is believed willl be comprehended by a perusal of the following description taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figurel' is a longitudinal section of my improved foot ball taken in line with the valve, the valve being in side elevation and the ball distended, the valve being placed through the closing flap atv a point where the casing is laced or sewed. p

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. .ly and shows the ball casing sewed together on both sides .ofthe valveopening where the bladder is introduced into the casing.

Fig. 3 is a broken cross section of a foot ball with the casing opened, and shows the bladder inserted and its valve thrust through the closing' dap preparatory to the closing.

and sewing of the opened flaps of the casing.-

F ig. 4c is a detail view of the valve and a longitudinal section of the. bladder and the caslng, at thejgunction where the valve stem is received through the closing flap. v

Fig. 5 is a detail-vertical cross section of the valve showing the seating rims forming a part thereof and between which the closing fla is received.

Fig. 6 1s a sectional view showing the parts of thevalve tion.

Fig. 7 is a detail view .partly inv section lof the valve tube. y

Fig. 8 .is a detail view of the ap.

In the drawings, like marks of reference refer to. corresponding or equivalent` arts through the dlterent views, in whic A represents an inflatable bladder; B, .a casing or container of leather or other suitable material;v and C, an interiorly-extending valve vulcanized to the bladder.

The valve C in certain details of its construction has been the subject of separatev Letters Patent, Serial No. 1,538,163, under date of Ma 19, 1925. The present application inve ves certain vdetails of construction whereby the valve will "be especially applicable Ato foot balls. used by professional p ayers, and wherein a casing of leather is prior to their vulcanizeused for the ball cover, and the valve and 1 its attachment to both the ball and its casing will be thorou lily "protectedA The casing is ormed of suitable materials in the usual manner for foot balls and is lprovided midway of -its len h with a slit 1' through which the blad er may be placed in the casing. Within the4 casing and sewed toit at one side of the slit, the usual flapv 2 is secured by a line of stitches 3. This Hap, also of leather, vulcanized fabric or other suitable material, extends beyond said slit to overlap the same, and it is formed with a hole 4, (see Fig. 8), having oppositely-disposed side slits 5, so that the lips made by slitting may be folded back and permit a-nend rim 6 of the valve C to be thrust through in the fitting of the valve to the casinge v AIn making up the tube of a valve C, a portion of said tube, including the neck 16 and that part of said tube above its bend, (as shown in Fig., 5 is ol rubberized cord 7', with the stran s running lengthwise. This cord is out from a sheet of the material `and Wrapped about 'a forming core,

after which another layer of gum rubber 9 is wound about said `cord and extends below itin double ply to a point necessary for the completed tube. About this tube and slightly below its corded upper extremity, a dat ring 10 of gum rubber is placed, after which said tube is flared outwardly, as shovvn in Fig. 6, and three dat rings are placed upon said ila-ring portion,

viz., am rubber ring l2, a middle ring i3 of fa ric or rubberized cloth, and a ring le of gum rubber, preparatory to placing the assemblage of .parts in a forming-up mould, The vulcanizing of the' parts eects an amalgamation of the fabric disc 13 on the outs read ends of the cord top 7 of the tubu ar part, .as shown in Fig. 5, and produces a tough and durable upper portion or neck for engaging the flap of a foot bail casing 'in such manner that said neck will not become disenga ed nor broken in use,

When vulcanize the parts 12, 13 and le form `an end rim 6, tbe ring 10 forms a base 11, and the tubular part between the base 11 and rim 6, a neck 1d of 'a valve.

In placing a bladder A in a casing B, the rim 6 of the valve is. bent u on itself and together with the neck 16 tirust through the slits 5 and th hole 4, of tbe Hap 2, Witli the rim 6 lying etweeu tbe casing B and said flap.7 v

It isunderstood that the base 11, when a valve has been made up,' is vulcanized on the exterior of abladder with tbe curved end of the valve inside tbe bladder, as sliovvnc p A bladder having been fitted with a valve,

, as set forth, and placed in a casing, the open-V ing of the casingis closed over the bladder and the indrawn edges of said casing sewed or laced together, as expedient` In Fig, 2 have shown a toot ball with the edges of the casing sevved together, ex-

to inserted to indate itZ ce t a small space immediately over' the va ve openingc Should occasionarise, said casing at this point may be tlirust apart suciently to permit an instrument to be thrust into the neck of tlie valve to dedate theblsdder, or permit the nozzle of a pump meneer From the foregoing description of my invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, a more extended explanation of its objects and advantages will knot be necessary.

Havinfr therefore, set forth my invention,

,l l what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. ln an article of the class set lortli, tbe combination with a casing having an opening capable of closure along contiguous edges, an, inner closure liap attached lo said casing adapted to cover said contiguous edges, an inflatable ball adapted rto be re- 'y ceived in said casing, said closure ldap havin a valve-stem hole with. marginal slits, said ball having an; internally-extending valve stem with an outer-extending neck port-ion having an end rim, said neck and rim adapted to pass through said valvestem hole and .marginal slits, with said 'end rim seating on said closurel flap, and said casing adapted to be closed over said valve neck rim.

2, ln an article of tbe class seil iortb, the combination with a casing having an opening capable of closure along contiguous edges, an inner' closure ap adapted to close said contiguous edges, any indatable ball' adapted to be received in said casing, said closure liep having a valve-stern holewitb oppositely-disposed marginal slits, said ball having an internally-'extending valve stem with anouter' formed neck rtion having a base rim vulcanized to said ball, and carrying at its outer end an integral rim, said neck and rim adapted to be thrust through said valve-stern liole and marginal slits, with said rim seating on said closure flap, and said casing adapted to be closed over said valve-stem neck.

lll@

3., ln an article of the class set forth, the

combination with a casing having an open ing capable of closure along contiguousl edges, an inner closing ap adapted to cover said contiguous edges and an indatable ball adapted to be received Within lsaid casing,i said closure flap having a valve-stem lnole` with oppositely-disposed marginal slits, said ball having an internallycxtending valve stern Withan outer formed neck portion y said `contiguous edges and formed with a lil@ stem including its neck comprising an inner ply of longitudinally-arranged cords and an outer ply of rubber, the lower portion of said valve stem being a reinforced continuation of said outer ply rubber, said valvestem neck and outer end rim adapted to pass through said valve-stem hole and marginal slits, with said rim seatin on said closure fiap, and said casing a apted to close over the rim ofsaid valve-stem neck.

5. In an article of the class set forth, the combination with a casing having an opening capable of closure along contiguous edges, an inner closure flap adapted to cover` said contiguous edges, said ap having a valve-stem hole with marginal slits, and an inflatable ball Tadapted to be received through said opening, of a valve carried by said ball and having a tubular stem vulcanized to said ball with its valvular rtion extendin into said ball 'and formed with an exterior neck portion with an end rim ada ted to be received through Said valve hol) seating on said flap, said valve stem above its valve e and marginal'slits, with said rim forced wi material of a liable, tough material, substantially as an set forth.

6. In an article ofv the class set forth, a tubular valve stein having the inner wall of for the purpose Aitsvintake end formed of longitudinallysdis posed rubberized cord, the opposite end of said tube, including an outer ply encom4 passing said intake end, be' of rubber, said tube having'anend rim ormed at its intake end and a uniformi spaced flange below said rim, said rim'an flange forming a part of said valve stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l f

7. In an varticle of the class set forth, a tubular valve stem having the inner wall of its intake openingformed from longitudinally-disposed rubberized cord with its upper end flared outwardly and formin a portion and end rim being. rein? t marginal rim, the opposite end of said tu including an outer ly encom assing said intake end, being of) gum rub r, an end rim comprising an outer and under ply of gum rubber and a middle ply' of fabric vulcanized, to the Vflaring upper end of said valve stem and forming an end rim, and a gum rubber rim equally spaced from said end 0 rim vulcanized to said valve stem, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANK la BUECHNER- 

